East Riding Museums

Upper and lower halves of a fluted clam shell (Tridachua Squamosa), from the Indian / Pacific Ocean. White on both surfaces, with large, semi circular spines. Part of the Pamplin shell collection. Clams are a type of bivalve, that is a shell divided into two parts, with the soft body of the mollusc between them. There are many different types. The largest can be 4 feet across and weigh a quarter of a ton. Some types are edible and are fished in large quantities in north European and American waters.